DIY - - HOME MADE DISHWASHER DETERGENT

I finally got to make the homemade dishwasher detergent!  YEA!!  I really do enjoy making my own laundry and dishwasher soap.  Especially since it cleans  even better than store bought and on the plus side its CHEAPER cost per load! You're calling my name when something is better and cheaper!  The original dishwasher recipe had called for citric acid.  When my DD was here last week for a visit with my DGD we were talking about making our own laundry soap.  I mentioned I wanted to make the dishwasher soap but could not find any citric acid locally and DD told me that I  could use unsweetened  Kool-Aid lemonade in place of citric acid. I had forgotten that I had read you could replace Kool-Aid Lemonade for the citric so I was totally excited that I could now make my dishwasher soap.   Friday after work I came home and made detergent.

Here's a picture of the ingredients. Remember my camera does not take good pictures (or maybe it could be the operator)!!

As you can see by the already opened pkg of Kool-Aid I thought of taking this picture after I had already made the detergent.  Here's a close-up picture of the unopened Kool-Aid.

This is the recipe as I found it on line:

1/2 cup  20 Mule Team Borax
1/2 cup  Super Washing Soda
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
4 packets of Kool-Aid unsweetened Lemonade.

Put all into a bowl and mix well. 

Use 1 TBSP per load 

I wanted a full quart jar of the detergent but did not have enough Kool-Aid packets. I had only bought 10 packets so I fudged on the measurements.

My Recipe Measurements

2-1/2 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
2-1/2 cups Super Washing Soda
2- 1/4 cups Kosher Salt
10 packets of Kool-Aid Lemonade.
   
From what I read on line they stated use only the Lemonade Kool-Aid since the other Kool-Aids will color the inside of your dishwasher.  I can't vouch for that just telling you what I read. Also, on http://jenerallyspeakingblog.blogspot.com/ she used the entire box of borax and super washing soda, 3 cups of Epsom Salt and 24 pkgs of the Kool-Aid.  I just might have to try that next time to save making the soap for a long time.


Here's my finished product.

I went on line and found a picture of a dishwasher. I then saved it into my pictures and opened it up in my handy-dandy GIMP Editor and added my words.  I also did a label for the lid.

 Here's a picture of the dishwasher without the words on it.

 

Feel free to copy the picture of the dishwasher and use it if you want. 

This label I got free off of http://www.cottage-industrialist.com/blog/  They also have other free labels.

Next I will try my hand at making the liquid laundry detergent.  For the recipe on that go to http://andthenshesaidblogblogblog@blogspot.com/.  This is my DD's blog.

I'm off to use my first tablespoon of detergent!!

Have a blessed and wonderful weekend.

PS:  I tried my first dishwasher load with the detergent.  It worked even better than the Cascade I've used. Cascade always left spots of detergent on my lock and lock that I use for work lunches.  Nary a detergent spot on this load and it looked cleaner and brighter than any load I've ever done with any type of store bought detergent. The white vinegar I put in to eliminate spots was awesome! No spots!  This is definitely a keeper.

PPS:  One suggestion.  Put the detergent in something that will not break because it tends to clump up and harden if it sits too long.   If it's in a glass jar you won't be able to hit it against a counter to help break it up. 

CRAFTING SATURDAY!!!

I woke up this Saturday morning in the crafting mood.  I haven't been able to do a whole lot for a while so today was my day!!  What I really wanted to work on was a small metal stool I got at a garage sale for $1.00, but I could not get one of screws out so I'll have to wait on that until I can get someone to help me with that crazy screw. I started my morning by making two small bulletin boards out of picture frames, but when I went to paint them well lets just say I had problems.  On the first one I ran out of black spray paint :<( and on the second the paint is still in the process of drying.  Oklahoma is having extremely hot weather this summer and it's running anywhere from 100 to 110. Mostly in the 105 up area.  It's also humid so paint is not drying quite as fast as it usually does.  So those will have to wait for another post.  Here's what I did today.

My first one was this:

I got the texture from here:  http://www.mayang.com/textures/Metal/html/Flat%20Metal%20Textures/index.html.  Sorry it's so long I bookmarked the page so I would have it to go to. I found a texture I liked and saved it to my pictures on the computer.  When I pulled it up it I opened it up using GIMP Image Editor.  This allowed me to size it big enough for my gallon can.  I actually had to cut off a portion to make it fit the width.  I then took my handy dandy Mod Podge and glued each sheet onto the gallon can.


Cost:    Gallon Can - Free (got off Free cyle)   Texture - Free

You can't beat anything better than that.  In fact all my craft projects today cost me nada, zip, zero!!!

I did two more cans.  The first one I got the image off The Graphic Fairy. Again I used my handy dandy GIMP Image Editor to size it just right for my needs and then Mod Podged them onto the can.

 

This is the last can I did for the day.

You may be wondering why I am doing so many cans.  Guess you could say I am preparing for next spring.  I'm going to use them to put plants in.  I.E.  ivy, succulents, etc.  I have four more can's to do!!

And for my last project of the day. 

This is part of a container that held cd's.  The sound guy at church has to buy the cd's by the case, since we use so many.  They just throw away the container when the last cd is used. One day I noticed them in the trash can and it got me to thinking "Surely they can be used for something else." I pulled three out of the trash.  Each container had a little round black disc that you pull out  Guess it was used on the top of the first cd.  I hung on to them for several weeks and then one day it dawned on me. USE THEM TO HOLD YOUR BRACELETS AND RINGS, so I hung them on the wall and put my rings and bracelets on them.  They look rather bland hanging there without any embellishments on them.  I wanted something to make them stand out.  I looked on the web for something to put on the little round disc and found nothing.  I looked through all my scrap book paper.  Again, nothing, but then I remembered I had some material, so I pulled out the box and found the leopard material.  I used the big portion and drew a circle on the material then cut it out and Mod Podged the material on the disc. Hopefully I can find something besides nails to hang up my wonderful little jewelry holders.  If you have any ideas please let me know.  In the meantime the old gray matter will be putting a lot of thought into what I can use beside the ugly nails.

 

Here's all three of them. I think they look pretty good over my mirror.  As for the lids to the cd container.

I used them to put all my ear rings in.  In August I get to buy the paint for my bedroom.  Can't wait to paint my room.  

 I had a fun and fruitful day!!  Really wish I could have more of those days.  There's nothing more fun than doing somthing creative.

Hope ya'll have a fun and blessed week.